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Managing External Lawyers

Jon Howes

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• The problem is that 99% of lawyers give the rest of us a bad name.

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Outline

• Some Common Moans

• How to Choose a Lawyer

• How to Manage the relationship

• How to control costs

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Common Problems

• Expensive

• Long letters that you didn’t ask for and don’t understand

• Advice not commercial enough – doesn’t understand my business

• Didn’t explain what was involved

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Who to Instruct

• Industry knowledge and track record

• Have they got the time and resources?

• Project management capabilities?

• Bear in mind likely advisers on the other side

• What is the fit like with your team?

• Recommendations

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Giving Instructions

• Be clear about who has the authority to give instructions

• Be clear about who has the authority to receive instructions

• Have clear Standard Operating Procedures (e.g. confirmation of instructions; methods of reporting etc.)

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Giving Instructions

• Be clear about what advice you want

• Think about how you want your advice delivered.

• Make sure the advice gets to the right person

• Set up checks to make sure the advice is acted on

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Getting the Teams to Gel

• Put some effort into building the team

• Get people under the same roof

• The value of long term relationships

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Controlling Costs

• There’s no free lunch

• But you can make sure you use lawyers efficiently……9

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How to use lawyers efficiently

• Be clear about what you want your lawyers to do (and what you don’t)

• Make sure your lawyers get all of the information and documents in good order and in good time

• Don’t get your lawyers to do tasks that you can do cheaper yourself

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Charging Arrangements

• Focus on value not just rates

• Can fees be fixed / capped?

• Can risk be shared?

• Secondments

• Get a job which is good enough for what you need

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Sign in a Lawyer's Office:

We do three kinds of jobs: cheap, quick, and good.

You can have any two…..

A good job quick, won't be cheap.

A good job cheap, won't be quick.

A cheap job quick, won't be good.

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Decision Trees

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Managing Costs

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Managing Costs

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Thank You………

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Working hard to make it easier

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